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France 24
France 24
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Rebecca GNIGNATI

Turning point for Turkey? Erdogan's AKP suffers biggest election setback in decades

THE DEBATE © FRANCE 24

After more than two decades of uninterrupted rule, is the tide turning in Turkey? President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threw all the weight of his AKP party behind a bid to unseat Istanbul's charismatic mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Instead, the possible presidential contender extended his gains in Sunday's local elections.

Despite the media and courts being stacked against Turkey's opposition, the ruling party has lost the country's five biggest cities.

Erdogan conceded on the night, hinting that heads might roll inside his party. We ask what's changed in the 11 months since he handily won re-election, about the divide between urban and rural areas, and what's next for Turkey's democracy.

Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Juliette Brown.

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